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We Like You But We Are Going To Keep Looking…

HelloIAmWaitingIf you are a minister who has been through a job search, there is a pretty good chance you have heard or felt that sentiment from more than one congregation. In one form or fashion, there is a pretty common pattern that we see in the church today when a congregation is looking for a new minister. If often goes like this:

  • Step 1 - Identify potential candidates.
  • Step 2 - Interview each candidate as they submit an application.
  • Step 3 - Put the candidate “on hold” while you see who else applies for the position.
  • Step 4 - Wait several months and then hire someone.

When congregations use this process they are in essence telling candidates, “We like you but we want to see if anyone better comes along.” This is a horrible message to send to a candidate and probably not something you would appreciate if you were on the candidate side of the process. Several things tend to happen in this approach and none of them are good.

  • Your top candidates feel slighted and withdraw from the process.
  • Other candidates withdraw due to the risk that an open-ended hiring process poses for their current job.
  • The candidates who remain in the pool often had no where better to be.
  • When you do hire someone, your new minister has to wonder if you “settled” on them rather than really wanting them.

To overcome these sorts of issues, I created the Minister Hiring Process. In my process I advocate the forming of a “candidate pool” before you engage with candidates in the interview and selection process. When candidates apply for the position, tell them up front that you will not engage in any interviews until the end of the application period. Even then don’t even proceed with the selection process unless you are confident that the candidate pool is large enough and strong enough to contain your next minister.

Once started, our selection process shows you how to move with speed and efficiency to focus in on your top candidates. The entire process is designed to keep the best candidates engaged in your search. It makes them feel valued as they rise to the top and pass through each round of the selection process. Since the process progresses rapidly and candidates immediately know if they are moving to the next round, there is less risk for them to remain a part of your search.

If you are tired of putting candidates “on hold” and want to find a better hiring process, please download our FREE Minister Hiring Process Overview. I’ll show you a better way to find and hire ministers and give you all of the tools you need to bring the process to life. To learn more, visit our website at http://www.ministermatch.com/minister-hiring-process do download your free overview of the process today.

What Happens When You Fail to Cast A Wide Net
Starting Over Doesn’t Mean You Failed

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Testimonials

I was so happy when Minister Match reached out to me about a potential job. I consider Minister Match an answer to my prayers.
Clay Tidwell
We would not have been exposed to the large number of qualified candidates without the resources and expertise of Minister Match.  The search process was very organized and accomplished very efficiently with the program and schedule provided by ...
Ken Fox - Elder, Mesa Church of Christ
I think that because of the format that was there and the process that we followed, it made us stand out to our quality group of finalists who had other lines in the water looking for opportunities. When it came time to offer our finalist the ...
Joel Shelton - Search Committee Chairman, Commerce Church of Christ
We would like to thank you for your efforts to make the minister hiring process simple and well defined. The congregation here has not been through the minister hiring process in sixteen years and had little experience left for trying to do so. We ...
Jim Burdette - Elder, Frederick Church of Christ
The Minister Match team was very professional. The entire process was very transparent. It was structured and organized, which made it a whole lot easier. I felt that the team also had a genuine concern for the Lord's church and His ministers. ...
Joshua Duboise - Family Minister, Mesa Church of Christ
Minister Match was kind to me, followed up really well, and tried to be as helpful as possible. I believe they give a lot of attention to the candidates and care about their part of the process.
Kerry Williams - Minister, Waterford Church of Christ
I strongly encourage ministers to take advantage of the expertise of the folks at Minister Match to help put together a high quality resume. They will help you identify strong points you didn't even know you have! I am extremely satisfied with the ...
Joel Shelton - Commerce Church of Christ
Minister Match helped us hire a new minister in half the time we took for our previous hire.  We used the Minister Match process which helped us build a consensus of what we wanted.  Minister Match's network then helped us to build an ...
Tom Long - Search Committee Chairman, South Fork Church of Christ
Minister Match connected me with a church, had the details for every aspect of the process already taken care of, and communicated well. It was a very easy process, and now I am a youth minister in Miami, Florida!  I was very impressed with the ...
Sam Wilson - Youth Minister, Sunset Church of Christ
We had a very good experience with Minister Match.  This was not the first time we had searched for a minister, but it was the first time we used a search firm.  Our experience with Minister Match was a complete success.  In previous searches, we ...
Jim Holway - Minister, Sunset Church of Christ

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Minister Match
410 South Lowe Avenue
Cookeville, TN 38501

ABC Blocks

Your congregation has just hired a minister, and it seems like they are the perfect fit. Congratulations! There is one more step to the process, though, and it is just as important as the process of finding the right minister. You might have heard people refer to how the “first hundred days” of someone’s job usually sets the tone for their entire career with that organization. The same is true with ministers. Just as your congregation is going through a major transition, so is your new minister. The first few months of a job are a stressful time, and it is the job of the elders and search committee to help your new minister through their transition.

We refer to this as the “On-Boarding Stage.” Since the “first hundred days” is so important to the rest of a minister’s career with your congregation, we believe this stage is one of the keys to reducing minister turnover in the church. In this post, we want to talk about a few of the things that a new minister needs from their congregation during this transition period. We will refer to them as the ABC’s of the On-Boarding Phase.